11121585 I had to watch this film for a university class and was very surprised how much I liked it. The film did a fantastic job of showing the main character Bree's development throughout the film as she becomes ready to finally complete her surgery. At the beginning of the film in her therapy session, Bree's psychologist tells her that gender dysphoria is a serious mental disorder that Bree questions, by saying it is a disorder that she can cure with plastic surgery. Bree relates the contradiction that exists between gender dysphoria and a cure. A serious mental disorder, as the psychologist deemed Bree's condition to be, is something that is very rarely able to be cured; it is inherent. The person living with a mental disorder will most likely live with it for the entirety of their life. However, Bree challenges the stigma of gender dysphoria with stating that a surgical repair can cure her of her distress. I think this film did an excellent job of portraying just how different gender dysphoria is compared to a mental disorder. By placing gender dysphoria under the mental disorder stigma, society maintains the bi-gendered system; stating that if one is born female, they must remain and identify as a female and vice versa with those born male. This film does an excellent job of depicting the struggles and challenges a trans gendered person may go through on their journey to "cure" themselves, and gives the main character the fairytale ending everyone hopes for. Bree is finally able to be transformed into the "woman" she so desperately wants to be, and the audience is able to observe her as truly happy with her transformation and seemingly "cured" of the distress she exhibited at the beginning of the film once again slamming the door on gender dysphoria being a mental disorder.

11103829 The director of this film, Duncan Tucker, stated that he wanted a female actress to play the role of Bree, a character who is a transsexual woman, because it would allow Bree to become the woman she wants to be. Felicity Huffman was cast in this role, and although she did an incredible job, I don't think the choice of a biological female was necessary to give the character Bree the life she always wanted. In my opinion, Tucker's statement contrasts the important message this film gives, which is to find oneself, and oneself can be in any gender, sex, identity or expression. Bree became the woman she wanted to be in the end, but it would have been achieved regardless of the actor's biological sex. I also think that the choice to have a female cast in the role shows that gender is and can be a performance, and that anyone can create a new or different identity for themselves. The fact that Huffman is a female that plays a transsexual woman who was previously a man, connects the goal of the film and can work in many different ways. Huffman's deeper voice and exaggerated feminine mannerisms gave a realistic performance of a transsexual woman, which shows that gender is a performance and something that is constructed. Performance can be learned and put to use for individuals trying to transition to the opposite sex. This film was well done and successfully showed a realistic story of a transsexual woman, and the struggles that many transsexual women may go through. I did wish to see a transsexual woman in the role, because it would provide the opportunity for a transsexual woman to have a lead role, and possibly become a more widely known actor

As someone who's made the same journey as Bree I thought the movie was wonderful. My story has a lot in common with Bree's. Sure I have some issues with some of the technical details, but overall it does a great job. In this movie we have both a personal and family story combined. Bree is looking to complete her transition and at the same time becomes a parent to a child she never had.Many trans people are unhappy with how Bree is portrayed, but I think they forget who the target audience is. Hint: It's not us trans people. So the portrayal of Bree in the movie is not really linear. In essence they compact a couple years of transition down to a one week period in the movie. That's why Bree appears so insecure at the beginning and so rounded and polished at the end. It's a lesson to non-trans people in brief of how we change over the course of transition.I would also be remiss to not mention the great soundtrack. Particularly "Like A Rose" as Bree's being readied for surgery. They also did a great job with casting. Everyone seemed so right for the parts they played. And finally, I think Felicity Huffman was robbed, she should have won the Oscar for this film.

Last week a family getting ready to move gave my wife and I a bag of books and a few films. One of the films was Transamerica. I glanced at the front and back and through "Hmmm, I didn't I know Mrs. H. was into weird movies". A few nights later my wife and I decided to give the film a try. The film was great, we're so tired of the same old Hollywood stuff, action, special effects, top dollar actors who could care less about the characters. The film captured us in the very beginning, we both empathized with Bree, understood her struggle, pain, and basic desire to be herself. The road trip was a great part of the film. I enjoyed the Calvin Manygoats and the meeting with her parents (the mom was great). I grew uncomfortable with Toby's desire to have sex with his biological father, as well as the tryst with the trucker, but this was an intergral part of the story and the film was very realistic. I learned a lot about the struggle and pain that these people have in life, it made me more accepting of their lives. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good story, exceptional acting, and good dialog. It's a very good film.